Vending-machine.



N. N. NBHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION II'LBD 1330.22, 1910.

1,027,059. Patented May 21, 1912.

3 EHEETSBEEET 1.

WW Attorneys.

ventor,

N. N. NEHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED D110. 22, 1910.

1,027,059. Patented May 21,1912. I

, j sums-sum 2.

Ma [II/M fia Attorneys.

Witnesses Inventor,

N. N. NEHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED D120. 22, 1910.

1 ,O27,059. v Patented May 21, 1912.

s mama-sum: a.

jl Zahifjl aek Inventor Attorneys,

Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

NOAH N. NEHER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH N. NiiI-rnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Vending-Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to coin controlled vending machines such as areadapted particularly for use upon the seats of theaters and other placesof assemblage, although the device of the present invention can be usedin many other places and connections if desired.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to improve, simplify,and strengthen the construction of such devices as well as to decreasethe expense attending their manufacture and use as well as to increasetheir efficiency in operation.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofthe claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification :-Figure1 is a perspective view of a vending machine constructed in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the coveror front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with half of thecover or front face broken away and the remainder shown in elevation.Fig. 41 is a section on the line 4.4t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of the locking member for the lid of each receptacle. Fig. 9 is adetail View showing the forward edge of the lid of one of thecompartments with the projections adapted to be engaged by theoverhanging lip of the member shown in Fig. 8 to lock the lid in closedposition, the lower portions of said projections being beveled tofacilitate the automatic locking of the lid after the contents of thereceptacle have been withdrawn. Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional viewshowing the shank for one of the plunger bottoms of one of thereceptacles Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1910.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 598,769.

in lowermost position, a coin being shown in dotted lines in theposition which it occupies when it is first dropped into the machine.Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the releasing device afterit has been slightly moved by the coin and just before the plungerbottom is released. Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the plunger rodreleased and the bottom of the receptacle thrown upward to eject thepackage therein, the releasing devices being in position to engage oneof the cam notches in the shank of the plunger bottom to prevent anydownward movement thereof. Fig. 13 is a similar view showing how thesliding plates move into one of the notches of the shank when an attemptis made to move the same downward. Fig. 14. is a perspective View of theplunger or ejector bottom of one of the compartments with the coin .slotclosure formed integral therewith so as to be positively operatedthereby. Figs. 15 and 16 are detail perspective views.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawing.

The coin controlled vending machine of the present invention isconstructed with a c: sing 1 having a top 2 through which extends thepush rod or plunger 3, a pair of compartment lids 1 and 5 each providedwith a spring 6 for automatically closing its respective lid after thepackage 7 of material to be vended has been removed from the compartmentand also to hold the package in protruded position as viewed in Fig. 1and be itself held open by said package to automatically close as soonas the package has been removed by the purchaser; a bottom 8, sideplates 9, provided with triangular shaped corner plates or bracingmembers 10 at the upper and lower ends thereof; and a cover plate 11which covers and incloses the entire front of the casing 1 and is hingedor pivotally connected therewith as indicated at 12, the front plate orcover 11 being provided with side plates 13 having beveled or cut awayupper and lower corners 14 which fit in snugly against the corner plates10 of the casing 1 when the cover plate 11 is thrown into closedposition.

The numeral 15 indicates a key hole communicating with a lock 16 mountedon the inside of the cover plate 11 and adapted, as shown in Fig. 5 toengage the top plate 2 of the casing 1 to lock the front cover 11 inclosed position. Interiorly, the casing 1 is formed with a pair ofcompartments 17 and 18 shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. For thepurpose of showing visually whether the compartments 17 and 18 areempty, the cover plate 11 is provided with windows 19 and 20 whichregister with the compartments 17 and 18 respectively.

The means for ejecting or delivering the package 7 of material to bevended from each of the compartments 17 and 18 preferably includes aplunger bottom or ejector 22 which is in the form of a plate filling thebottom of each compartment and provided with upward extensions or arms23 and 24 which fit against the sides of the compartments 17 and 18 andslide easily thereon. The side extension 24 of each eject-or 22 isprovided at its upper end with an integral wing plate or closure 25which, when the ejector moves upward, slides over and closes the coinslot 26 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be obvious thereforethat the upward movement of the ejector or plunger bottom whichdischarges the package, positively closes the coin slot against theinsertion of another coin until the compartment has been recharged.

The upward movement of the ejector bot tom 22 and slide 25, preferablyis utilized for unlocking the lid 5 of the compartment. For thispurpose, the lid 5 is locked closed by means of a plate 28, best shownin Figs. 2, 3 and 8 of the drawings. This plate 28 is pivotally mountedin any suitable manner upon the sides of each compartment and isprovided along its upper edge as shown in Fig. 8 with an overhanging lip29 which engages the beveled projection 30 upon the forward edge of thelid 5. When the lid 5 is opened by withdrawing the partially ejectedpackage 7 in Fig. 1, the spring 6 thereof causes said lid immediately tosnap closed, the projections 30, by reason of their beveled undersurfaces, sliding past the overhanging lip 29 and thus automaticallylooking the empty compartment so as to prevent pieces of paper orchewing gum or other substances from being dropped into the emptycompartment by persons who desire to get them out of the way. The plate28 of the locking member is provided at one edge with an extension orwing 31 which fits alongside of the wall 32 of the compartment as shownin Fig. 3 and is providedat its rear end with an upward projection 34which is surrounded by a coil spring 35 that bears upward against thestop portion 2 of the casing 1. The spring 35 serves automatically tothrow the overhanging lip 29 into locking engagement with the lid 5.

For the purpose of causing the lid 5 of each compartment to be unlockedwhen the bottom thereof moves upward to discharge the contents of thereceptacle, the wing plate 31 is formed along its forward edge with acam portion 36 which terminates at its upper end in a depression orcutaway por tion 37. The slot closure or slide 25, as shown in Fig. 7 isprovided at its upper edge with a flange or projection 38 which engagesand rides along the cam edge 36 of the wing plate 31 and thus rocks thewing plate 31 rearwardly, at the same time throwing the overhanging lip29 forwardly so as to release the lid 5 and permit the upward movementof the package 7 to open said lid. As soon as the projection 38 reachesthe cutaway portion 37 of the wing plate 31, the overhanging lip 29 isfree to snap back into engagement with the lid 5 and thus lock it inclosed position.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description in connection with thedrawings that the upward movement of the plunger bottom 22, which isreleased in the manner hereinafter described by the insertion of a coin,serves first to eject the package to be vended, second, by means of theslide or closure 25, to close the coin slot 26 so as to prevent theinsertion of another coin, and third, to release the lid 5 and thus,permit it to open and provide for the removal of the package 7, afterwhich said lid is free to snap closed.

The means for throwing the plunger bottoms 22 upward when the same isreleased, preferably includes a coil spring 40 which surrounds a shank41 connected with the plunger bottom 22 and is interposed between saidbottom 22 and the bottom 42 of the compartment. The compartment bot tom42 along its forward edge is formed with a depending integral plate 43which serves to hold in position a pair oftransversely slidable membersor plates 44 and 45 shown in Figs. 10 to 13 of the drawings. Both of thesliding plates 44 and 45 are provided with slots through which extendsthe shank 41 of the ejector or plunger bot-' tom 22. The upper plate 44is provided at the opposite ends thereof with depending direction beforeit engages either the flange 46 or the flange 47 of the upper plate andthus moves the same. The lower plate 45 is provided at the inner endthereof with a pair of downwardly extending separated arms 4848. Said.plate 45 is also provided at one side thereof with a depending flange 49having at the inner end thereof a trans verse flange or abutment 50.Said plate 45 is providedat its opposite side with a flange 51 whichengages the rear wall of the casing 1 and serves to guide the plate 45in its sliding movement.

Interposed between the abutment flange 50 and the side wall of thecasing is a spring 52 shown best in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.Describing the operation of these parts with particular reference to thecompartment 18 in Figs. 2 and 3 and the construction shown in Figs. 10,11, 12 and 13 of the drawings, the spring 52 normally throws the lowerplate 45 to the right. Said plate thus engages the flange 46 of theupper plate 44 and throws said plate to the right, whereby one edge ofsaid plate engages an upper notch 54 formed in the shank 41 of theejector bottom. The parts thus normally occupy the position indicated inFig. 10 whereby the plunger bottom 22 is locked in its lowermostposition as illustrated in Fig. 2 with a package resting thereon. When acoin is inserted in the left hand coin slot 26, it drops down throughthe passage 55 shown in Fig. 2 and becomes lodged in the space 56 shownin Fig. 2, the coin being prevented from falling forward by means of theslide flanges 57. WVhen in this position, the coin occupies the relativeposition shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 10. Vhen the coin is nowpushed'to the left in Fig. 10 by the push rod mechanism to behereinafter described, it is pressed against the separated arms 48 ofthe lower plate 45 and moves the same to the left against the tension ofthe spring 52.

When the lower plate 45 has moved sufficiently to the left to engage thedepending J flange 47 of the upper plate 44, said upper plate 44 is alsomoved to the left until said plate becomes disengaged from the notch 54of the shank 41 thus permitting the coil spring 40 to throw the ejector22 upward at the same time closing the coin slot and opening the lid ofthe compartment as previously described. If the push rod mechanism isoperated when no coin is resting against the separated arms 48, saidpush rod mechanism merely works idly between said arms 48 withoutoperating the machine. After the lower plate 45 has been first moved bythe coin from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11 andhas then continued its movement to the left so as to release the shank41 as shown in Fig. 12 as previously described, the coin drops downwardinto the coin receptacle 58 and the spring 52 in then free to throw theplates 45 and 44 backward into the position shown in Fig. 13. As theshank 41 is provided below the notch 54 with a pair of cam notches 59and 60, it will be obvious that any downward movement of the plungerbottom 22 is prevented by reason of the fact that the upper plate 44engages one of the notches 60 as shown in Fig. 13. The object in view incausing the ejector 22 to be locked in raised position after it hasdischarged the package 7 and remain locked in such raised position untilthe machine is refilled and reset by the attendant, is to prevent thecoin slot closure or slide 25 from being thrown downward by an attemptto insert a coin. In other words, if the coin slot slide 25 was merelyheld in position over the coin slot by means of the action of a spring,it might be pushed aside sometime, 'or if the spring became weak itmight fail to operate. In the present construction this slide is lockedpositively in position to prevent the insertion of a coin until themachine is recharged. Moreover by forming a rigid connection between theejector bottom 22 and the coin slot closure 25, it is impossible torecharge the machine without automatically unlocking the coin slot. Inother words if these two parts operated independently, an attendantmight sometimes supply a new package to the compartment 18 withoutremoving the closure 25 from the coin slot. Under this arrangement, itwould be impossible to insert a coin to unlock the machine even thoughthe compartment were filled In the present construction, when theoperator unlocks the front cover 11 and inserts the new package, afterreleasing the plates 44 and 45 from their engagement with the shank 41,the downward pressure on the package automatically removes the slide 25from its position in front of the coin slot and at the same time permitsthe shank 41 to be locked in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 10by the action of the spring 52 on the lower plate 45.

The means for pressing the coin against the depending arms 48 when theparts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 preferably comprises a curvedlever which is fulcrumed at 66 upon a bracket arm 67 mounted upon thewall or channel 68. The curved lever 65 is provided at its lower endwith a nose piece 69 which engages the coin through a suitable openingin said wall 68. Two of the curved levers 68 are employed as shown, oneof said levers being adapted to act on the coin for one of thecompartments and the other on the coin for the other compartment. Thetwo levers 65 are mounted on opposite sides of an arrow head portion 70which is formed on the lower end of the push rod 3. The push rod 3 atits lower end is provided'with a projection 71. which extends through aperforation in the platform 72 and thus serves to guide the push rod inits vertical movement. The

ush rod is held normally in raised position y means of a coil spring 72'which bears at its lower end upon a bracket arm 73 secured to the casing1 and at its upper end rests against a suitable collar 74 fixed upon thepush rod 3. When a coin has been inserted into the machine and hasdropped down into the space 56 so as to lie directly in advance of thenose piece 69 of one of the levers 65 and the push rod 3 is depressed,the arrow head portion 70 rides between the levers 65 and throws thenose pieces 69 in opposite directions. If one coin is in the machine oneof the compartments is released in the manner previously described. Iftwo coins are in the machine both compartments are simultaneouslyreleased. As soon as the pressure on the push rod 3 is removed after thecompartment has ejected its contents, the spring 72 throws the push. rodupward and the arrow head portion 70 by riding in a cam like manner uponthe upper ends of the curved levers 65 thus automatically retracts bothof said levers into the position shown in Fig. 2 without necessitatingthe use of independent springs for retracting said levers. Theconstruction is thus simple and effective in its action and not liableto become disarranged or otherwise get out of order or wear out as isthe case where delicate springs are employed.

The machine of the present invention is strong, simple, durable,inexpensive and compact in construction as well as thoroughly efficientand practical in operation. By reason of the fact that the lid of eachcompartment automatically snaps closed as soon as the package to bevended has been removed therefrom, the obnoxious, though common habit ofdropping pieces of paper, chewing gum and the like into the openreceptacle to get rid of them is prevented. By reason of the fact thatthe coin slot closure is locked positively in closed position, saidclosure cannot be opened except by the regular attendant and theinsertion of a coin at a time when consideration therefor cannot bereturned, is prevented. The machine is thus proof against ignorant,careless and malicious persons and is easily reset and thus not liableto be damaged by even a careless attendant.

That is claimed as new is 1. A vending machine having a casing, a springactuated package ejector mounted therein, a lid hingedly connected tothe casing to be engaged by a package during the ejection thereof bytheejector, and a spring at the hinge of said lid exerting a tension tohold the lid closed and while the package is protruded to engage thepackage, whereby the package will retain the lid in protruded position.

2. A vending machine of this character, having a casing, said casingbeing divided into two vertically disposed and parallel compartments, alid hingedly connected to the upper end of the casing for controllingthe upper end of its respective compartments, and a spring hinge to eachlid and normally holding the lid in closed position, a spring actuatedpackage ejector mounted in each compartment and normally exerting atension upwardly and toward its respective lid, whereby the packagecarried by said eject-or is projected against the lid to raise the same,the spring tension of the hinge upon the lid retaining the protrudedpackage within the compartment but above the open end of the saidcompartment, and said package in turn retaining the lip in openposition.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signa L ture in the presence of two witnesses.

NOAH N. NEHER.

Witncsses J. R. MILLER, F. M. BATES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. I). G.

open position and being itself retained in'

